Council moves ahead with Berkeley Mills Park bond plan

Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 8:50 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 8:50 p.m.

Hendersonville City Council agreed during a workshop Thursday to nix an idea to build an amphitheater in Berkeley Mills Park but proceed with plans for a November bond referendum to pay for the park's renovation.

If the bond referendum is approved, citizens will see a 3-cent rise in taxes next July to help cover the bond's debt. City Manager John Connet told the board they will have about 10 years to sell the bonds for the project once the referendum passes.

Once the bonds are sold, the city will have about five years to spend the money on the park's renovations, city Finance Director Jim Rudasill said.

Council members learned that the city could save money doing the work over a shorter period of time and paying for it all at once rather than parceling out the project and tackling the bills piece by piece.

Dreams for the 60-acre park site, donated to the city in 2008 by Kimberly-Clark, include a baseball complex, soccer field, amphitheater, playground, picnic areas, two gardens, trails, a dog park and a connection to the Oklawaha Greenway. The total project is estimated to cost about $5.5 million.

To help the city pay for the project, construction work was separated into a possible 15 phases ranging in price from $27,900 for a greenway connector trail to nearly $1.3 million for a soccer complex.

Councilman Jerry Smith, who has studied the plans and its phases, recommended the city scrap plans for an amphitheater.

“The amphitheater is a great idea,” he said, “but it should be beside No. 5,” referring to the memorial tree garden. “I'm not sure people are going to walk up there by the swamp to go listen to music.”

“I agree with him on the amphitheater,” said Councilman Jeff Collis.

He said he supported the idea of an amphitheater until he saw its location marked on the master plans near the park's natural wetlands.

Smith said that in his opinion, the park's priorities should include the main entrance into the park, the baseball complex, parking lots, the playground, picnic areas and the park's perimeter trail.

“It seems to me with those amenities there, you already make it a very attractive park,” he said.

Mayor Barbara Volk said the memorial garden also needs to be a priority.

“I'm trying to think what would draw the most people in the fastest and for me, that's the playground,” she added. The soccer field was not a high priority on her list.

“If we don't turf it, I agree with you,” Smith said. “If the goal is to attract people to play in that park, it needs to be turf; otherwise it's just a piece of grass.”

Turfing the field, he said, would create less of a “maintenance nightmare” and would make it the only soccer field of its kind within 40 minutes of Hendersonville.

There are “two issues here to me. One is the park. The other one is the timing,” said Councilman Ron Stephens. “I personally don't think this is the time for us to spend more money.”

With taxes going up next year and concerns over what new taxes, fees or eliminations in revenue the state may pass down in 2014, Stephens said he wasn't sure this was the right time for the project.

“We just did a park... I think Main Street is a park in many ways,” he said.

Construction prices could go up if the council waits, however. Volk said the decision will rest with the voters. If they'd like to see this done in the next few years, they'll vote for it, she said. If they don't, they won't.

“I think this is where a lot of people's interests are right now,” she added.

The council decided on the following priorities for the park's renovation: Top priorities are an entrance drive and ball field, main parking lot, group picnic area, playground and picnic area, memorial garden and trail loop. Second-level priorities are a soccer complex, overlook garden, part of the greenway not covered by grant funds, amountain biking area, asphalt parking lot and restroom near the greenway's trailhead.

Low priorities include a wetlands boardwalk and observation area, a greenway connector through the wetlands and a dog park.

A public hearing on the bond is scheduled for Sept. 5. Citizens are slated to vote on the referendum on Nov. 5.

<p>Hendersonville City Council agreed during a workshop Thursday to nix an idea to build an amphitheater in Berkeley Mills Park but proceed with plans for a November bond referendum to pay for the park's renovation. </p><p>If the bond referendum is approved, citizens will see a 3-cent rise in taxes next July to help cover the bond's debt. City Manager John Connet told the board they will have about 10 years to sell the bonds for the project once the referendum passes.</p><p>Once the bonds are sold, the city will have about five years to spend the money on the park's renovations, city Finance Director Jim Rudasill said. </p><p>Council members learned that the city could save money doing the work over a shorter period of time and paying for it all at once rather than parceling out the project and tackling the bills piece by piece.</p><p>Dreams for the 60-acre park site, donated to the city in 2008 by Kimberly-Clark, include a baseball complex, soccer field, amphitheater, playground, picnic areas, two gardens, trails, a dog park and a connection to the Oklawaha Greenway. The total project is estimated to cost about $5.5 million.</p><p>To help the city pay for the project, construction work was separated into a possible 15 phases ranging in price from $27,900 for a greenway connector trail to nearly $1.3 million for a soccer complex.</p><p>Councilman Jerry Smith, who has studied the plans and its phases, recommended the city scrap plans for an amphitheater.</p><p>“The amphitheater is a great idea,” he said, “but it should be beside No. 5,” referring to the memorial tree garden. “I'm not sure people are going to walk up there by the swamp to go listen to music.”</p><p>“I agree with him on the amphitheater,” said Councilman Jeff Collis. </p><p>He said he supported the idea of an amphitheater until he saw its location marked on the master plans near the park's natural wetlands.</p><p>Smith said that in his opinion, the park's priorities should include the main entrance into the park, the baseball complex, parking lots, the playground, picnic areas and the park's perimeter trail. </p><p>“It seems to me with those amenities there, you already make it a very attractive park,” he said.</p><p>Mayor Barbara Volk said the memorial garden also needs to be a priority. </p><p>“I'm trying to think what would draw the most people in the fastest and for me, that's the playground,” she added. The soccer field was not a high priority on her list.</p><p>“If we don't turf it, I agree with you,” Smith said. “If the goal is to attract people to play in that park, it needs to be turf; otherwise it's just a piece of grass.”</p><p>Turfing the field, he said, would create less of a “maintenance nightmare” and would make it the only soccer field of its kind within 40 minutes of Hendersonville.</p><p>There are “two issues here to me. One is the park. The other one is the timing,” said Councilman Ron Stephens. “I personally don't think this is the time for us to spend more money.”</p><p>With taxes going up next year and concerns over what new taxes, fees or eliminations in revenue the state may pass down in 2014, Stephens said he wasn't sure this was the right time for the project. </p><p>“We just did a park... I think Main Street is a park in many ways,” he said.</p><p>Construction prices could go up if the council waits, however. Volk said the decision will rest with the voters. If they'd like to see this done in the next few years, they'll vote for it, she said. If they don't, they won't.</p><p>“I think this is where a lot of people's interests are right now,” she added.</p><p>The council decided on the following priorities for the park's renovation: Top priorities are an entrance drive and ball field, main parking lot, group picnic area, playground and picnic area, memorial garden and trail loop. Second-level priorities are a soccer complex, overlook garden, part of the greenway not covered by grant funds, amountain biking area, asphalt parking lot and restroom near the greenway's trailhead.</p><p>Low priorities include a wetlands boardwalk and observation area, a greenway connector through the wetlands and a dog park.</p><p>A public hearing on the bond is scheduled for Sept. 5. Citizens are slated to vote on the referendum on Nov. 5.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>